President's Blog - FebRUARY 2018

Dear SBSM Members,

As we bear down in the middle of winter, I want to use this month’s blog to encourage members to think about summer and the upcoming SBSM meeting at SLEEP 2018 in Baltimore. We have many members who are making important contributions in the field and we want to be able to recognize you at the Bootzin reception that is part of the SBSM meeting in June. As a reminder, there are three awards:

Nominations are due by 11:59 pm eastern time on March 4, 2018 and should be submitted to Kathryn Hansen in the SBSM Offices at kathryn@behavioralsleep.org.

Also, remember that you must be an SBSM member to be eligible to receive an award. So if you have not renewed your member, please remember to do so soon! Or, if you know of a colleague who you would like to nominate but is not yet an SBSM member, please encourage them to join!

With warm regards,Jason Ong, Ph.D.SBSM President

Jason Ong, Ph.D.SBSM President

President's Blog - JANUARY 2018

Dear SBSM Members,

Happy New Year! As we ring in the new year, this is a good time to look forward to upcoming events in 2018.

We invite you to attend the SBSM Awards and Recognition reception at SLEEP 2018 in Baltimore on June 2, 2018. We will be expanding our educational offerings this year to include additional virtual journal club webinars, Practice and Consultation webinars, the 2018 Fall Course in Birmingham, AL, and the educational offering in Baltimore, plus we plan to offer additional CE credits this year.

Also, please consider nominating a colleague or student for one of our awards. We want to make sure to recognize our outstanding colleagues for their contributions to field. Please follow this link for instructions on how to apply for an award - https://behavioralsleep.org/index.php/2018-awards.

President's Blog - December 2017

Dear SBSM Members,

Holiday greetings! 2017 is winding down and it’s been a very busy year for the SBSM. The society now has over 260 members, 12 accredited BSM training programs, a practice and consultation webinar, a bi-monthly virtual journal club, and an active social media presence. We have a monthly newsletter, The Sleep Talker, which provides announcements about SBSM events and featured members (check out this month’s featured members). Behind the scenes, work is continuing on the BSM exam and the formation of a new scientific advisory committee. Collectively, we have brought greater value to our membership.

These activities would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our committees. I want to thank each of our committee members for their service to the SBSM. At the same time, we would not be successful without the participation of our members. I want to say a big thank you to all of our members for your engagement and involvement in SBSM activities over the past year.

As we move into 2018, we will continue to enhance the value of being an SBSM member. The education committee is making plans to expand the educational offerings that precede the SBSM reception at SLEEP 2018 in Baltimore. Our 2018 Fall Course will move to Birmingham, AL.

Here are a few other highlight in the coming months:

1. The membership committee is developing a challenge for members to renew their membership and bring others on-board. Look for details to be announced soon!

2. The credentialing committee is building a database of potential items for the new BSM exam. SBSM members who passed the previous CBSM exam should have received an email from Dr. Don Townsend, chair of the credentialing committee, inviting you to submit items. Please take the time to provide input to the exam. This will help to ensure that the exam reflects the best practices of BSM.

3. The Board of Directors has been working on the first draft of the BSM concept map. This concept map will serve as a “State of the SBSM” which members can use to identify research gaps in BSM, to develop a description of BSM clinical services, and to recruit BSM students. In early 2018, we will be posting a draft of the concept map for SBSM members to provide their input and suggestions. Look for this to come out soon!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season.

With warm regards,Jason Ong, Ph.D.SBSM President

Jason Ong, Ph.D.SBSM President

President's Blog - November 2017

Dear SBSM Members,

I want to give you updates on two projects that the SBSM leadership is working on. First, we are still on track to meet our goal of offering the BSM exam in 2018. The credentialing committee is working hard to construct an examination that is valid, fair, and meets the standards for practicing BSM. We are also soliciting proposals for a testing agency to oversee the examination.

I want to assure SBSM members that The BSM exam and certification remains a top priority for the Board of Directors and the committees involved in this process. We will continue to provide updates on this process through the Sleep Talker Newsletter. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Kathryn Hansen or email me directly.

The second update is on the BSM Concept Map, which is a project that I mentioned in the July blog. As a reminder, the purpose of the project is to provide a “30,000 foot view” of the activities, services, and products which fall under Behavioral Sleep Medicine. Once the BSM concept map is developed, it can then be used as a tool for the SBSM and its members for strategic planning and communications with the public. For example, SBSM leaders can use the concept map to identify particular areas that could benefit from resource allocation to stimulate activity (e.g., call for grant applications). SBSM researchers can use the concept map to identify research gaps which could be useful in grant applications. SBSM clinicians can use the concept map to develop a description of clinical services to communicate with providers who are not familiar with BSM services. SBSM educators can use the concept map to teach students or set up specific training programs.

The Board of Directors and each of the committees are currently working on putting together a first draft of the concept map. Once this draft is complete, we will post it on the SBSM website for members to review and provide feedback. We will also invite key stakeholder groups to provide input. Following this period of commentary, the BOD will take the feedback and make final adjustments. The final concept map will then be posted on the SBSM website for public view. I also plan to present this Concept Map at our annual meeting in June 2018.

Speaking of annual meetings, SLEEP 2018 will be in Baltimore, MD from June 2-6. The call for abstracts has come out. I encourage SBSM members to submit research abstracts, symposium proposals, and postgraduate course proposals. For more information search http://www.sleepmeeting.org/call-for-presentations. This month, my challenge to members is to consider this question: What topics would you like to see at SLEEP 2018?

Instead of a survey, I would like to use social media to stimulate discussions for topic ideas and proposals. Please post your ideas and responses on the SBSM Facebook Page. If you have not visited our Facebook Page, this would be a great time to visit and “like” our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/behavioralsleep/

I hope this open discussion of ideas will lead to more BSM-related sessions at SLEEP 2018.

With warm regards,

Jason Ong, Ph.D.SBSM President

President's Blog - OCTOBER 2017

Dear SBSM Members,

I am pleased to report that our fall course was well-attended with 72 participants. I would like to thank the education committee for their hard work in organizing the course and our sponsors for their support. Special thanks goes to our presenters, Drs. James Wyatt, Sarah Honaker, Valerie Crabtree, Michael Smith, Susan McCurry, and Terri Weaver, who gave excellent talks. This year, we also organized a dinner which was a great time to interact among colleagues and the presenters. To read more about the conference click here: https://behavioralsleep.org/index.php/2017-fall-course-review.

Next year, we will be moving the course to Birmingham, Alabama on September 15-16, so get ready for some BSM in the south!

As I mentioned in last month’s blog, the SBSM is supporting National Obesity Care Week, which is October 29th – November 4th. We hope to highlight the importance of sleep health in the management of obesity and work with other organizations to promote evidence-based care for individuals with obesity. We will be distributing information in the coming weeks with more details about how you can support this cause. You can also check out the website at: http://www.obesitycareweek.org/

I hope that supporting National Obesity Care Week is just a start for the SBSM to “get on the map” with other organizations and causes. With this thought in mind, my challenge to members this month is to respond with your idea (or ideas) for other organizations or societies with whom we can engage. I would encourage you to think creatively! If you have a contact with that group, please let me know so we can reach out to them. I look forward to your responses.

With warm regards,

Jason Ong, Ph.D.SBSM President

President's Blog - SEPTEMBER 2017

Dear SBSM Members,

September is upon us and it is back-to-school time. This is a great time to remind SBSM members and their colleague to join us at our annual BSM Course which is held in Minneapolis, MN on September 16 & 17. This year’s theme is Caring for Patients with Complex Sleep Problems and there will be lectures and case presentations from nationally recognized experts. This is also a great opportunity to network with other BSM colleagues and to chat informally with the course faculty. We would like to thank our education supporters who have contributed to putting on this conference: Allina Health (www.allinahealth.org), Fairview Health Services, (www.fairview.org), Sleep Health Partners, (www.healthpartners.com) Click here for further details on the BSM Course, Please encourage your colleagues to attend. I hope to see you there!

I want to provide two important updates to our members. First, I am pleased to announce that the Board of Directors has recently approved the formation of the Science Advisory Committee (SAC). The mission of the SAC is to elevate the scientific profile of the SBSM, to encourage scientific activity among its membership, and to communicate scientific standards of behavioral sleep medicine to other organizations and to the public. If you are interested in serving as a member of the SAC, please send your CV and a statement of interest to.

Second, I want to update our members on my initiative to build relationships with other organizations. We are partnering with the Obesity Action Coalition www.obesitycareweek.org to support and promote National Obesity Care Week, which is October 29th – November 4th. Given that research has demonstrated a relationship between insufficient sleep and obesity, the SBSM can promote the importance of sleep health and sleep behaviors in weight management. Look for more announcements and information in the weeks to come.

Last month, I issued a “challenge” to engage in a conversation about BSM and hypersomnia. Here is how our members responded to the challenge.

Nearly 60% of members who responded are currently involved in patient care or research related to hypersomnia, the majority of which are involved in patient care. These consist of activities such as: assessment to rule out other factors that could contribute to excessive sleepiness (e.g., comorbid psychiatric conditions), behavioral interventions to optimize daytime functioning (e.g., scheduled daytime naps) and nocturnal sleep (e.g., consolidation/regulation schedule), coping with relationship/occupational issues, and providing education about hypersomnia to patients.

Over 90% of members who responded expressed support for the SBSM to provide educational programs on hypersomnia or to engage in collaborations with other organizations that support hypersomnia. There were many comments and suggestions with regards to what the SBSM can do. The most popular suggestion was to provide education on the delivery and implementation of specific behavioral techniques and appropriate assessment of hypersomnia. There was also interest in learning about other non-pharmacological approaches (e.g., nutrition, recreational/vocational therapy). Members generally preferred webinars or on-line CE courses, and secondarily, lectures/workshops at conferences. There were also suggestions for more research and funding collaborations with other organizations, such as the AASM with the possibility of developing and testing integrated clinical care models or practice guidelines. Finally, there were several comments supporting collaborations with other patient organizations to help BSM clinicians learn directly from individuals with hypersomnia.

I want to thank those who took the time to respond to this challenge. The results indicate that SBSM members are active in the hypersomnia “space”, a space that has traditionally been reserved for sleep physicians and pharmacological treatments. Moreover, there was an overwhelming interest in educational programs and building connections with other organizations in this area. I will ask the Board of Directors and our committees to consider these findings as we plan for future programs. Also, please note that we do have a lecture and case presentation on hypersomnia at this year’s BSM Course – www.behavioralsleep.org.

With warm regards,

Jason Ong, Ph.D.SBSM President

President's Blog - AUGUST 2017

Dear SBSM Members,

Summer is in full swing! Before we get to “back-to-school” mode, I would like to provide some updates on SBSM activities this summer. Summer is in full swing! Before we get to “back-to-school” mode, I would like to provide some updates on SBSM activities this summer.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is exploring potential opportunities to issue a call for applications focused on treating primary insomnia, which is seen as a key gap in their funding portfolio. As part of the topic development, a teleconference workshop was recently conducted entitled, “Key Evidence Gaps in Insomnia Research: Can CER Help Answer Questions About Chronic Insomnia? A PCORI Stakeholder Workshop”. I was invited to participate on the panel as a representative of the SBSM and we had a lively discussion on issues related to conducting comparative effectiveness research in insomnia with Drs. Dan Buysse, Charles Morin, Tom Roth, and Michael Twery. You can view the archived webinar here: http://www.pcori.org/events/2017/key-evidence-gaps-insomnia-research-can-cer-help-answer-questions-about-chronic-insomnia.

SBSM members who are investigators might want to begin brainstorming ideas or discuss collaborations, should PCORI release a funding announcement in the near future.

The SBSM leadership continues to make progress towards the Certification in Behavioral Sleep Medicine. We are establishing a credentialing committee to oversee the process and provide recommendations to the Board of Directors. Dr. Don Townsend has graciously agreed to serve as Chair of this committee and Dr. Kenny Lichstein will serve as the Board Liaison to this committee. Dr. Mike Schmitz will continue to be involved as the Executive Committee representative to maintain continuity with this process.

On occasion, I would like to use this blog to issue a “challenge” to the SBSM members. This month, I would like to challenge SBSM members to engage in a conversation about hypersomnia. Hypersomnia disorders, including narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia, have primarily been treated with medications by sleep specialists. In contrast to insomnia and OSA management, this group of sleep disorders has received only limited attention from BSM clinicians and researchers - mostly, involving scheduled naps and regulating the nighttime sleep schedule.

I would like to challenge SBSM members to provide feedback on BSM and hypersomnia using the survey link below.

With warm regards,

Jason Ong, Ph.D.SBSM President

President's Blog - JUly 2017

Dear SBSM Members,

I am thrilled to be writing my first President’s Blog! This is an exciting and energetic time for the society. Under the leadership of Dr. Mike Schmitz, we have made great strides in revitalizing the BSM Certification and increasing educational programs. Our reception at SLEEP 2017 was a huge success with over 100 attendees, engaging programs by the education and membership committees, and some of the best food ever! I want to build on the momentum that Dr. Schmitz has created for the society. Over the next year, I will be working with the SBSM leadership on three key initiatives:

The first initiative is to establish our identity and presence. I would like to develop a concept map for BSM, which is a graphical tool used to organize and structure all things related to BSM. This includes papers, grants, training programs, and clinical services that fall under the umbrella of BSM. The concept map will provide a valuable tool that can be used by the SBSM and its members for strategic planning, communicating to the public, or as a reference for research projects. I will provide more details about this project and how members can contribute in the weeks ahead.

The second initiative is to build relationships with other societies and organizations. I believe the SBSM should be a leader in training, promoting, and disseminating CBT-I and other behavioral sleep services. I will seek out opportunities to make our presence felt in the public and look for ways to work with other professional and patient organizations who can serve as partners in carrying out this mission.

The third initiative is to increase revenue and resources so that we can fund more projects. I will be working with the Board of Directors to evaluate our needs and resources in order to devise a financial plan that can support more strategic activities. This will likely be a multi-year process but I want to take the first steps during this coming year so that the SBSM can be in position to grow and serve its members more effectively. In addition to these initiatives, we will continue to work on developing and implementing the BSM Certification.

I am pleased that Dr. Schmitz has agreed to remain actively involved with the process and I am confident that his continued leadership will lead to the availability of the new BSM Certification soon. We are part of a growing society that is ready to make an impact. As your president, my goal is to make the SBSM more relevant, more valued, and more fun! I will keep you informed of our progress on these initiatives through these monthly blogs and other communications. I look forward to serving you this coming year.

With warm regards,

Jason Ong, Ph.D.SBSM President

President's Blog - JUNE 2017

Dear SBSM Members,

June is a month of transition and coming together for our Society. On June 4th we welcome new leadership including Jason Ong, incoming President, Donna Arand, President Elect, Kenny Lichstein, Director At Large, and Karlyn Vatthauer, Student Member. I wish to thank Michael Scherer, our departing Past President, for his leadership within the SBSM. I would also like to acknowledge Laura Broch and Kevin Smith for their service as they complete terms as co-chairs of the Accreditation Committee.

As our members come together in Boston for SLEEP 2017 I encourage all of you to participate in the SBSM Awards and Recognition Reception. Our gathering presents a unique opportunity to network and build connections between clinicians, researchers, educators and students.

BSM Certification planning and implementation continues with the anticipated launch of the SBSM Credentials Committee in late Summer. I am pleased to announce that the following individuals have volunteered their time and expertise to serve on the committee: Janice Biddle, Kelly Byars, Valerie Crabtree, Christina McCrae, and Don Townsend. Kenny Lichstein will also join the committee serving as board liaison.

Looking to the fall, our Education Committee has put together a great two day BSM Course to be held once again in Minneapolis on September 16-17. This year’s course Caring for Patients with Complex Sleep Problems: Advanced Topics in Behavioral Sleep promises to be another great opportunity for us to come together to learn and build our BSM professional community.

It has been a pleasure to serve as president this past year and witness the passion, creativity, and many contributions of our members. Our commitment to you is that we continue to work to earn your membership by creating an ever richer community of valued resources and relationships.

With Warm Regards,Michael Schmitz, PsyD, CBSMSBSM President

President's Blog - May 2017

Dear SBSM Members,

It is cliché to say that time flies, but as I complete the final month of my year in my role as president, it seems only yesterday that many of us were together at the SBSM reception at SLEEP 2016 in Denver.

Much has happened over the last year and we have a great deal to celebrate as we soon come together again in Boston on June 4th for our SBSM Program and Reception. This year our reception is held in honor of Richard Bootzin for his legendary contributions to our field and profound impact as a mentor and colleague.

I invite you to join us in celebrating all of the wonderful work and contribution of our members as leaders, practitioners, researchers and students. This was a year of rebuilding and growth for the SBSM. We have expanded our web presence, begun work on a social media strategy, expanded education opportunities to include online courses, and approved a framework for resumptions of BSM certification expanding eligibility to master’s level licensed clinicians. We have launched a monthly newsletter and work is in progress on a number of projects to bring practice resources to our members including a BSM consultation service. As we transitioned from an administrative contract with the AASM to an independent executive director contract with our capable Kathryn Hansen, we have remained financially stable, retained current members, and are growing with the addition particularly of returning, master’s level and trainee members.

The future of the SBSM is bright and comes with many opportunities and challenges. Over the next year the SBSM will continue its implementation plans for resumption of BSM certification. This will involve necessary financial and leadership investment in the formation of an independent non-profit board to manage the exam and certification process. As a young organization that continues to mature, I believe we need to continue work on developing a clearer identity and out of that shape a strategic plan for our future.

I am honored to be able to serve this coming year in the role of past-president and hope to focus particularly on supporting the BSM certification initiative. We are very fortunate to continue our journey as a Society with the exceptional leadership of our Executive Committee and Board of Directors. It is with great pleasure and anticipation that I welcome Jason Ong as our new president on June 6th.

With Best Regards,Michael Schmitz, PsyD, CBSMSBSM President

President’s Blog - April 2017

Dear SBSM Members,

I have the pleasure of updating you on recent board elections, naming of awards recipients, and results of a BSM certification bylaws change vote.

But before I do that, I want to take a moment to thank all of our members who are contributing time and effort as committee/task force members and chairs. Our SBSM committees have been very productive this past year working to advance training, practice and educational opportunities, lay the groundwork for resumption of BSM certification, and increase our capacity to reach out to each other and the public through enhanced web and communication strategies.

Board of Director Elections

I am pleased to inform you that Donna Arand, PhD has been elected President-Elect. Dr. Arand will complete her currently three year term as a board member and transition into that role in June.

I am also pleased to announce that Kenny Lichstein, PhD, has been elected to fill the open board of director position with Karlyn Vatthauer filling the student representative seat.

Awards Recipients

I am thrilled to announce the recipients of our 2017 achievement awards to be presented at our SBSM program and reception to be held on Sunday, June 4 during the APSS annual meeting in Boston.

This year, the SBSM will be honoring Kenny Lichstein with the Peter Hauri Career Distinguished Achievement Award for his tremendous contributions to the field of behavioral sleep medicine. Michael Nadorff, PhD has been named the recipient of the Art Spielman Early Career Distinguished Achievement Award and Jennifer Cowie, MA selected to receive the Student Dissertation and Thesis Award.

Congratulation to all awards recipients their contributions to our field!

BSM Certification Update

In more good news, SBSM members voted overwhelmingly to approve bylaws changes to support and advance the re-establishment of BSM certification.

We hope to establish the board-approved standing Credentials Committee by June to begin work on a BSM exam. The Credentials Committee will be broadly charged with making credentialing recommendations to the board of directors. Planning is underway for the formation of an independent non-profit board that will administer the multidiscipline certification process and exam. As a professional society we are also laying the groundwork to support BSM certification by developing an education strategy to support training and eligibility and promote the availability of clinical consultation for those seeking certification.

Next month I’ll have more information about our expanded programming during the APSS annual conference, our newly launched virtual journal club, and great program coming together for our annual BSM course in Minneapolis.

Best regards,Mike

Michael Schmitz, PsyD, CBSMSBSM President

President's Blog - March 2017

Dear SBSM Members,

I am very pleased to inform you that planning for BSM certification is well underway. The news has greeted with excitement and anticipation about next steps. As was previously announced, the SBSM Board of Directors approved recommendations from the BSM Certification Task Force to move forward with resumption of a multidiscipline BSM certification to be expanded to include master’s level licensed clinicians. The board also approved task force recommendations for eligibility requirements. These can be reviewed on our website. Because discipline and degree eligibility was expanded, greater emphasis was placed on applicants demonstrating BSM and mental health expertise. Members are invited to review the eligibility criteria and offer comments, as we move forward with the process of implementation. Updates and answers to FAQs will be posted on our website. We will also respond individually to members with questions. Because planning is in the initial states, we may not be able answer all of your questions, but we will do our best.

Part of that process involves direct action by you. I urge you to cast your vote on recent bylaws changes approved by the SBSM Board of Directors that are needed to move forward with BSM certification. Based on wide consultation with our members, leaders and other professional societies, the Board of Directors has also approved that certification be administered by an independent non-profit board. It is envisioned that a new standing Credentials Committee within the SBSM will facilitate the development of the BSM exam and coordinate with the independent non-profit board who will administer the certification process.

There is much exciting work to be done in the coming months. We’ll keep you posted on the many opportunities to join in the process of shaping and contributing to the establishment of a BSM certification.

If you haven’t had the chance to renew your membership this year I invite you to do so. We are working hard to provide increased value to you for the price of membership. Over the past year we have held a successful BSM course, made online courses available, and successfully launched a journal club and newsletter. For 2017 we are expanding our educational and professional offerings during the APSS conference and SBSM course scheduled in Minneapolis for September 16-17. As planning and implementation for BSM certification progresses, we will also be launching a BSM clinical consultation service for members.

On a final note, as one way to build upon the promise of the ACP insomnia guidelines, I will be initiating the formation of a SIG focusing on population-based management of insomnia. Look for an invitation later this Spring.

That’s it for now. It’s an early March 60 degree in Minneapolis, Minnesota...time to head to the garden store!

Michael Schmitz, PsyD, CBSMSBSM President

President's Blog - February 2017

Insufficient Sleep in Teens

Insufficient sleep in teens has evolved as a global epidemic that poses multiple risks to the health, safety and well-being of adolescents, and has been recognized as a serious public health issue by the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The term “deficient sleep” has been used to characterize unhealthy sleep in teens as including both daily sleep amounts insufficient to meet developmentally-appropriate sleep needs and/or sleep timing which conflicts with normal changes in adolescent circadian rhythms.

Consequences range from inattentiveness, reduction in executive functioning and poor academic performance to increased risk of obesity and cardio-metabolic dysfunction, mood disturbances which include increased suicidal ideation, a higher risk of engaging in health risk behaviors such as alcohol and substance use, and increased rates of car crashes, occupational injuries and sports-related injuries.

Early school start times for both middle and high school students have been identified as one of the most pervasive and important contributors to deficient sleep in teens. Due to circadian-based developmental changes in sleep timing, the average adolescent has difficulty falling asleep much before 11pm. Wake times required by early start times not only do not allow teens to obtain the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep “to promote optimal health” (American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2016), but also result in misalignment with circadian rhythms: imagine having to wake up and function at 3am every day! In addition, early forced wake times selectively rob teens of REM sleep, critical to memory consolidation and learning of new information. Despite this, in 2011-12, less than 1 in 5 middle and high schools in the US started at the time recommended in the 2014 AAP policy statement of 8:30am or later.

There has been a growing movement over the past decade to change this situation, often spearheaded by grassroots community advocates, parents and school administrators who recognize that the evidence supporting later school start times is extensive and compelling. Healthy start times are associated with more sleep, less daytime sleepiness, better school performance and attendance, less depression symptoms, fewer visits to school health centers and lower rates of car crashes in teens, among other benefits. While recognizing that there are many practical and logistical challenges that communities face in changing school start times (child care for younger siblings, parent work schedules, after-school employment, traffic flow, sports schedules and costs related to busing), an increasing number of schools in rural, suburban, large metropolitan and inner city areas have successfully surmounted these barriers, and almost none of the well over 1000 schools and districts that have made the change have gone back to the original bell times.

It is our responsibility as sleep medicine professionals to get involved and to encourage and assist our local school schools and school districts. Educating yourself and then your community about the consequences of deficient sleep in adolescents and the benefits of healthy school start times is the first step in moving the issue forward.

President's Blog - January 2017

SBSM Promotion of Member Professional Activities

As a part of its mission, the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (SBSM) seeks to support the professional growth and activity of its members. To that end, the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors have established the following guidelines for SBSM promotion of member professional activities and training.

Guidelines:

At the request of members, the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine will post information regarding member professional announcements, activities, and events. All requests are subject to review and approval by the SBSM Executive Committee. The following activities are eligible for submission:

Activities within these categories upon review will be placed on the SBSM website, noted in the SBSM newsletter, posted on Facebook and/or announced via email to our network of communities. The SBSM typically will announce or post items with a header, brief description and a link provided by the member for more detailed information. The SBSM does not release or distribute its mailing lists to members or third parties. Members may elect to opt out the receipt of these promotions by contacting the SBSM at membership@behavioralsleep.org.

If a member wishes to have the SBSM post information about a position, professional activity or event, please contact the SBSM Executive Director, Kathryn Hansen at kathryn@behavioralsleep.org. Please provide a detailed summary of position postings or clinical/educational offering. All position postings must include an application deadline.

President's Blog - December 2016

Greetings to all SBSM members

This year has been marked by tremendous change and transition for our small young society whose great strength is its members. In nearly six months as your president I have seen among you a great passion for our field, a drive for innovation and excellence, and a strong desire for greater professional community and connection. In the coming year and beyond we will need to continue to engage that energy as we create a strategic plan to define who we are as a society chart a course with goals for the next five years.

For this year, we’ve focused on the fundamentals – ensuring financial stability as we transitioned away from our administrative relationship with the AASM, improving communication and engagement with members, and supporting our committees around efforts members have said are a value to them – certification, education, practice resources, and a website that is more useful and user-friendly.

Here’s a few exciting highlights that reflect a focus on some of these fundamentals.

Stable and growing membership – With one month left in 2016 we have already seen an 8% growth in membership this year over 2015 (currently 257 members)

High level of direct involvement - 54 of our members actively involved in our board, committees and task forces with numerous others volunteering their time in a consulting role to support the growth of our society.

Lastly, the work of our BSM Certification Task Force is well underway. In a forthcoming direct communication to members I will discuss the substantial opportunities, challenges and progress surrounding this endeavor and elicit your feedback as we chart our course.

As always, please offer your feedback, comments and suggestions to membership@behavioralsleep.org or visit the suggestion box in the member's portal to submit your feedback

Best regards,

Mike

SBSM Launches BSM Blog and Rollout of Media Strategy

I am excited to welcome you to the launch of the BSM Blog. This is one of many efforts underway and under construction for SBSM members to connect with each other and the public. I want to give a shout out to our Web and Communication Committee and our administrative team for their efforts. The blog will feature regular posts providing updates on SBSM news, events, information and BSM topics of interest to our members.

With the help of Kelly Baron and Michael Grandner, the SBSM has also begun to roll out a media strategy in the past few months, including setting up a speakers bureau, developing press releases and social media. We are pleased to announce the SBSM Facebook page is up and active. We are excited to be able to use the page to share research and clinical topics when they are hot off the press, highlight the great work of our members, and interact in real time.

Encourage your friends and colleagues interested in sleep to like our page

Share our articles on your own page and comment on articles posted on our page

If you or a SBSM member is quoted in the press, post the article to the page and tag them

I believe these tools are an essential part of increasing dialogue within our society. They also serve to amplifying the voice of the SBSM within sleep medicine and the general public about the value of your work.

The annual BSM course recently held in Minneapolis was a great success. We had 100 participants nearly tripling last year’s attendance. We are eager to hear from you about topics you would like the course to address in 2017.

The 2015 BSM course presentations will soon be available as webinars on our website followed shortly by 2016 course offerings.

Looking to SLEEP 2017 in Boston, planning is already underway for the SBSM reception with expanded opportunities to learn, dialogue and socialize together as colleagues.